Fiber optic technology as a whole has advanced in recent years as a variety of techniques is being found for implementing the unique capabilities of light transmission. The telecommunications field, in particular, has begun adopting optical fibers for the transmission of information that was previously transmitted electrically. As a result, component designers have had to provide improved devices for coupling optical fiber conductors, with a goal of achieving the same degree of mechanical and energy efficiency heretofore found in purely electrical connectors. In the telecommunications industry, multi-connector electrical cables have been terminated with miniature and sub-miniature multi-contact connectors that allow substantial density in the packaging of switching apparatus. Connectors for optical fibers have been devised which provide a similar mating function for optical fibers on a multi-fiber cable. A connector of this type is set forth, for example, in the applicant's copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 245,808 filed Mar. 20, 1981 and entitled Multichannel Optical Fiber Connector, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. That application discloses an optical fiber connector having a spring-loaded end piece which mates with a corresponding end piece of a mating connector so as to bring two optical fibers into axial alignment with each other for effective optical interconnection. The mating end pieces of the connectors slide axially around the fibers themselves during the mating process. Accordingly, connectors of this type have utilized retention devices for securing the multi-fiber optical cable assembly as a whole to the connector. This has, in some instances, been accomplished by having clamping portions on the rear of the connector which rigidly engage the outer sheath of the optical fiber cable, as set forth in the aforesaid application Ser. No. 245,808. While connectors of this type do provide a means for preventing axial movement of the cable as a whole within the connector, there is a potential with such connector assemblies for axial and torsional movement of the conductors within the outer sheath of the cable which is being retained by the connector. Additionally, connectors of this type have normally required a fan-out of the individual optical fibers within the connector body from the rather tightly compacted fiber cable to the more broadly dispersed channels at the mating end of the connector. As such, there is a potential for buckling of the individual fibers in the axial direction during the mating of complementary connector parts. In other instances, the optical fibers are held in place with adhesives, a lengthy and messy operation which is permanent in nature. As such, the clamping elements are not adjustable or reusable.